Blood of Dragons

The 'A Song of Ice and Fire' MUSH

Logs

Dangerous
IC Date: Day 25 of Month 4, 158 AC.
RL Date: January 23, 2007.
Participants: Belissa Caron, Carmella Dondarrion, Elanna Penrose, Jyana Arryn, called the Jewel of the Eyrie, Kellyn Lannister and Reyna Rowan.
Locations: Red Keep: Maegor's Holdfast <Carmella's Rooms>.

Summary: It was only supposed to be an ordinary tea party among friends, but unexpected gifts and a mysterious perfume create a new and potentially dangerous mystery.

It has been a while since the last tea party, giving their next hostess, Carmella, plenty of time to plan the event. While it certainly isn’t to the scale of the Lannister party a few evening past, the Dondarrion girl has certainly put an effort into the gathering.

For this evening’s affair a musician has been brought in to play for the women as they eat, drink, and gossip. Already the man is seated with his harp, playing through a lovely soft melody while Carmella directs her staff to the last minute details.

“Melora, that tea is hot, is it not? I don’t want my guests drinking something that’s almost cold. Os ... Oslynne, no, don’t put those out yet, I’ll call for them when I need them.” The maids scurry about, laying a wonderful table of tea and delicate looking treats, some drizzled with honey, others topped with berries or cream. Carmella moved around the room in her red gown, checking and double checking that everything is quite perfect.

Belissa arrives, flanked by two Caron guards and her short, rotund septa. She gives her clothing a last moment check, shaking out the folds of her skirt just so before she lets someone announce her arrival.

A footman arrives within the solar, and announces in a firm, faintly arrogant voice, “The Lady Elanna Penrose.” And stands aside to allow the woman, clad in rich blue to sweep within, gold glittering at hip, neck and brow, and upon the edges of the gown.

“Carmella,” she smiles warmly, as she approaches, her hands held out to greet the woman.

In silence, a tall broadshouldered form in Baratheon sable and gold takes his position at the doorway, his pale eyes regarding the room and the servants that scurry around within. His hand merely rests easily upon his blade hilt.

“The place looks lovely!” Elanna’s blue gaze sweeps around the room, taking in Belissa standing within the doorway.

“Lady Belissa! How lovely to see you!” she declares with a welcoming smile.

Belissa gives a startled little jump, then shoos her escort to… wherever escorts go during such events, so that she can clear the entry. “Lady Elanna. It is lovely to see you, as well.” She smiles, “I didn’t mean to block the doorway.”

Jyana is already there, having arrived to help Carmella prepare, though she was careful to defer to Carmella with whatever decisions had to go in with the settings and treats on the table. After all, Carmella was hosting this time, and this makes it the day where her tastes should be put on the forefront. But the Jewel contents herself to being support, like she always is, laughing softly at Carmella’s fretting.

“Everything looks -perfect-, Carmella, I think that’s around the fifth time you’ve adjusted that plate,” she chides in a teasing manner.

And then, guests start arriving. She stands a little bit to the side and behind Carmella, curtseying to the newcomers. “Good day, Lady Belissa, Lady Elanna,” she greets with a cheerful, girlish grin.

A petite, russet haired young woman enters as the footman projects, “The Lady Kellyn Lannister.” guards accompany her in for this occasion and find an out of the way spot to settle down a few boxes. They retreat swiftly enough, disappearing into the background.

She sweeps forward after Elanna has made her greetings, an unconscious imitation of Lady Elanna. “So lovely to see you again. Thank you for having me.” Belissa’s name draws her gaze and she smiles brightly. “Oh, Lady Belissa! I am pleased to see you again.”

And then of course there are others - “Lady Elanna. Lady Jyana. I imagine it might be the tenth even,” she lightly jests. “Though I know well enough what it is like to want to see to every detail.”

Carmella looks over at Jyana just as she’s about to move that plate for the 6th time, if Jyana’s words are to be believed. Her blush is fierce, but she does pull her hand away just as the other guests begin to arrive. Carmella extends her hands towards Elanna in greeting and then her gaze falls to the young Caron girl. “Lady Belissa, what a pleasure. Please come in. We have some beverages for your guards as well, as my men will show them,” she says when her gaze lands on the girl’s septa. “Let it not be said that the Dondarrions were not ever welcoming to those of the faith,” she says with a gracious smile to the rotund woman. “You can trust that Belissa will be in the very best of care with us and if you’d like I am sure my own septa would be delighted to entertain you in her solar.”

Finally her attention goes to the Lannister woman and she do gains a warm smile, but an actual greeting is interrupted with a horrendous crash.

Sprawled on the floor at the table is Oslynne, an array of berry treats ruining the floor around her. She is quick to move, however, and the clean up is underway in the blink of an eye, though the maid is muttering angrily under her breath, shooing away Melora with a swat to the other maid’s hand.

Belissa smiles, “Lady Kellyn. It’s nice to see you again.” Likewise Carmella and Jyana are greeted, “My ladies.” Her attention is drawn by the crash, but she looks away again, to minimize embarrassment. “I hope that everyone has been well?”

“Goodness!” Elanna skips away from a rolling berry tart, and smiles warmly at Belissa, then Jyana. And as Kellyn arrives, “Lady Kellyn, it is good to see you.” She regards the spread of food.

“I do not think we shall suffer from the loss of the tarts! You have truly out done yourself, Carmella!”

“Oh, Oslynne….are you alright?” Jyana says, her energetic gait (despite, strangely, her fragile countenance), taking her a step or two towards the fallen maid, it is a very instinctive thing, the young lady seems to forget that she has noble company for the moment as her steps take her close so she could offer the poor maid a help up, but Melora is there, and the latter’s hand is swatted. She, of course, stops in her tracks as clean up efforts are launched swiftly.

She hopes the maid isn’t hurt anyways, even as the clean up crew moves away so as not to get in the way of the gathering.

Elanna’s voice catches her ears, and she nods, smiling at her. “I don’t remember how many times she changed the menu,” she says with a small laugh. “But rest assured you wouldn’t complain about anything that’s on that table, Lady Elanna.”

Belissa gives an embarrassed smile. “I should have hosted a tea by now, but I’ve just been so busy with settling in and just getting used to the place.” She pads over to the layout, looking it over curiously. “It’s a lovely spread, my Lady. Attention to detail is rewarding.”

Even the harper has paused in his playing to watch the unexpected drama occurring on the floor. Oslynne’s cheeks are flushed with anger at herself and at Melora it seems as she picks up the ruined tarts and makes attempts to clean the floor and the edge of the tablecloth that is now stained with smears of red and purple. Carmella sighs heavily, turning back to her guests. Her first words are immediately apologetic.

“I am sure there is more than enough to feed the entire Holdfast, but I do enjoy a wide selection,” she lightly teases. “But it should only take Oslynne a few moments to clean everything properly.” She even shoots the maid a quick glance, as if that could will the woman to work faster. The maid doesn’t look up.

“But, I do thank you all for coming.” Her gaze falls on Belissa. “I’m sure your brother would be quite relieved, I can’t imagine he would enjoy having a household to gossiping ladies interrupting his day.”

Belissa laughs, “Oh, he’d be horrified to come home and find us all nattering away with refreshments, but on the other hand, if I don’t host a tea, he’ll fret that I’m not properly socializing myself.”

Elanna regards the young Caron maid with a raised brow, “Indeed?” She shakes her head.

“Strange man. Half of what a woman needs to get accomplished is done..by events like this!” she flicks her fingers airily, “Not all of us would enjoy a war room meeting, far too many egos in one room. Barely enough room for business at hand. And here the men just think we are frittering, foolish maids. Silly them.” She shakes her head in mock sorrow, her lips quirking with an amused smile.

The crash has Kellyn briefly glancing back to the, as yet, undisturbed packages. There is a measure of relief when she looks back. “Well! It appears your floor has excellent taste in snacks.” She steps away from the fuss and folds her hands before her. The movements carry her to a seat and she tidily sets herself down. “A very good point, Lady Elanna. Is there business we ought to see to? Any men behaving badly who need snubbing, or women in need of a husband?”

“Sometimes I think it’s better that they do think us to be frittering foolish maids,” Carmella says to Elanna with a amused grin. “Then they can only imagine we discuss dresses and children at these gatherings. I’m happy to let my brother believe that to be so.”

With her dress near ruined and her hair a mess, Oslynne finally gets to her feet with the crushed tarts on the tray. There’s a stiff curtsey from her before she turns wordlessly and heads out of the solar. Melora fusses a bit more but remembers that there will be tea to pour, so she remains. The harper begins playing again and it seems as if all is well.

“Please, ladies, have a seat and something to eat. Make yourself comfortable.” Carmella directs them towards the table, waiting until they are all seated before she takes a chair herself. “Yes,” she says, echoing Kellyn, “who do we have to snub this week?”

Belissa chuckles and shakes her head, “I think the problem is that when my brother last spent any length of time with me I was ten. He’s having a hard time reconciling the sister I was and the sister I am.”

“What they don’t know won’t hurt them for certain,” Jyana says from where she stands, smiling in that blithely, effortless, innocent way of hers. She folds her arms behind her back, watching the table for a moment and marveling at how Carmella has arranged them to her liking. After a bit of that, she blinks, and looks up. “Is Lady Reyna coming?” she inquires curiously. “She’s usually present for our gatherings…”

She glances over at Kellyn, and then to Elanna for surely the Baratheon widow would have the answer. “We’re snubbing someone this week?” she asks, blinking once as she moves to take a seat per bidden by Carmella. As always, she will sit herself next or near the Dondarrion girl.

She frowns a little bit at what Belissa says. “You mean he’s never made an effort to get to know you growing up?” she asks.

Belissa tilts her head a bit, “Well, when I was ten, he was sent off to squire with a friend of our father’s. And then, of course, there was the war.” Her expression crumples briefly at some memory, but is quickly smoothed out. “So he’d been away from Nightsong for about five years before Mother sent me to join him here.”

“Brothers are a dangerous game if you don’t keep them in check. If I didn’t try to rein in Elmer’s influence, I fear Jonn might cause even more trouble than he generally does,” Kellyn laments before taking a sip of tea.

A shrug rolls her shoulders at the question of if they are snubbing someone. “Should the occasion warrant, certainly. At times it seems the most opportune course of social sanctioning.” Kellyn reaches for a cream pastry, hesitating once before allowing herself the treat.

Elanna seats herself gracefully, arranging her skirts with practiced ease. She smiles at Carmella.

“Lady Reyna will be here shortly, she has business she has to attend to,” she replies softly, “And I am sure we will save snubbing for our next meeting. There is no one, thus far that seems to require such treatment.” Her eyes glitter faintly.

Carmella laughs in ready agreement with Kellyn as Melora starts to pour the tea. Each woman’s cup is filled and the maid offers sugar and cream and honey and lemon if they so wish it. “Yes, Lady Kellyn, I believe brothers need a short leash or else they will begin to believe they have some manner of control.” Her eye twinkle with mirth as she says that. “In fact, just last week I had to put my foot down when my brother dared make mention of who he thought my betrothal should be made to.” Her voice is filled with mock scandal though her amusement fades as she glances towards Belissa. Carmella waits until Melora has filled her cup before continuing. “But I set him straight on that, I assure you. The man might be skilled with a weapon and at war, but at the arts of society he fails miserably, I assure you.”

Belissa lifts her cup, taking in the scent of the tea before she takes a sip. Her smile is back in place, the momentary expression a thing of the past. “Bryce is good to me, though. Our other brother, Terrence, is studying to be a septon.” Her expression turns wryly fond. “He’s terribly good at lecturing, even if he is the younger by two years.”

“Then you are more fortunate than some, though,” she tells Belissa. Kellyn’s tone is spiked with wry amusement as she sets the tea aside in favor of the sweet. After a bite, she crosses her legs at the ankles. “A betrothal for you, Lady Carmella? Oh, do tell - whoever did he suggest?”

Belissa nods at Kellyn’s words, “Bryce is a good man.” She turns her head curiously at the mention of a proposed proposal, blonde brows arching up with interest.

“Oh, do let me in, she really -is- expecting me…” comes a harried voice arguing with a gold cloak at the door of Carmella’s rooms. A little more conversation follows until Reyna Rowan is finally admitted. “Honestly, the guards here are so… GUARDY,” she says in peeved annoyance to all assembled.

Jyana laughs softly. “I have twin brothers, and two younger sisters after them,” she states. “Andred and Ondred are a handful themselves, though they’re certainly nothing like father. So boisterous and charming and with a lion’s share of pranks in between them. I think Lady Reyna had come upon me once in the middle of the boys attempting to scare me with a frog.”

At the talk of betrothals, she shifts a little bit, and takes a sip of her tea. But as the subject gets some headway, she turns her head to the window, her expression a little contemplative. Oh, don’t get any ideas, she’s most certainly still listening. She just…likes the window!

Carmella glances around the table, teacup in hand. “Oh, my brother thought that…” But that’s all Carmella can get out before the voice of their final guest is heard speaking to the guards. Carmella’s on her feet to assure them all is well, but Reyna convinces them herself before the hostess has need to.

“Yes, the Holdfast does make it a little more difficult for a friend to just drop by,” Carmella admits. She does share the home of the Targaryen family after all. “But they should have recognized you right off,” she adds before shaking her head and stepping forward to take Reyna’s hands in greeting.

“It’s so good to see you, you’re just in time. We haven’t disrupted the Keep’s society just yet,” Carmella grins and then motions Reyna towards the empty chair. Melora is quick to follow to pour the tea.

“Ren!” Elanna declares gladly, rising to her feet to greet the Rowan widow.

“I am so glad you could make it,” her smile was summer warmth, “Did your business conclude to satisfaction?” A tilt of her head in query.

Kellyn catches sight of Reyna and then smiles brightly. “Oh! Lady Reyna. Good, good, we are all here now, I believe.” There isn’t even really a nod and then the guards are bringing over the box that attended her arrival. “I’ve had a package from mother and thought I might share a bit of the riches.” A ribbon is deftly cut and she begins to open it. “Has the evening been troubling already?”

“Most satisfactorily,” Reyna replies, touching Carmella on the arm and kissing Elanna’s cheek. She looks next to Kellyn, her curiosity piqued by the box. “No, not at all. Quite the contrary. Lady Belissa, how lovely to see you again! I had not thought to see you tonight. But where is Lady Sherion?”

Belissa smiles. “Lady Reyna. It’s nice to see you again. I hope that you’ve been well?” She shakes her head, “There was no answer when I knocked upon the Darklyn apartment on my way out.”

Carmella smiles at Belissa. “I’m sure she has her own affairs to attend. But worry not, we shall entertain her before too long.” The words are spoken as a definitive promise, but quickly her attention is distracted by whatever it is that Lady Kellyn has provided. “Oh really, you are so generous Lady Kellyn, to share with us.” She sips her tea, waiting eagerly.

At the change of subject, Jyana lifts her head from her perusal of the view in the window, smiling as Kellyn starts cutting the ribbon which held the box she had brought over together. “This is certainly a surprise,” she remarks. “Thank you for your generosity, Lady Kellyn.” She takes a sip of her tea, but aquamarine eyes fall curiously on the box. What could be inside, she wonders.

The lid is lifted to reveal a rich cascade of colors. One by one, the soft slippery samples of fabric are removed. Each is laid on turn before her. When they are settled, she lifts up a scroll. Patterns and shades abound, including a few new dyes. A scroll is lifted and she skims it quickly. “She sends this so that selections can be made for my autumn and winter wardrobes. They are the latest to be found there, apparently. I do not think that she would notice if the measurements for each item went directly to a seamstress.” There is a sly look to her eye when she lifts her gaze, “If you should all like to come up with some fetching designs to begin the seasons to be aright.”

Below that a wooden box which she lifts into her lap, opening it to reveal carefully cut bottles of scent. “Oh! And for those in need of wooing, something pretty for the other senses to lure your gentlemen in, or lift your own spirits.”

Belissa is quietly sipping her tea, listening to the conversation, but not making a lot of inroads. Somehow, her usual boisterous demeanor has been rather subdued for the past week, and it seems no different this evening. As the conversation turns to new wardrobes, her hands tense just a bit and she sets aside her cup.

“Oh, Kellyn” breathes Reyna, fingering a swatch of a brilliant rose red. ” Your lady mother is -too- kind… but surely there is no fear yet of winter?” As she speaks, Reyna draws a lock of hair loose, and lays it over the swatch of cloth in her hand, then clucks her tongue and puts the swatch back with the rest. “Are we Starks to sing ‘winter is coming’ and make our winter gowns betimes?”

There’s a loud gasp from the hostess as her hand flutters to her throat as slips of color are spread out before their eyes. She looks over the offerings, half-rising from her chair so that she might admire a length of pale gold with her fingers and not just her eyes. “Lady Kellyn, this is all ... this is too much,” she breathes, but she isn’t refusing either. “You are a treasure to your house,” she adds, dark eyes rising to look at the Lannister lady.

Belissa folds her hands together, mostly to keep from reaching out to finger the luxurious fabrics herself. “The colors are splendid, my Lady. The best I’ve ever seen.”

“They’re all so beautiful,” Jyana says softly, touching a soft sheen of deep purple, setting her tea carefully aside so she can crowd with the ladies at the table. But her attention is soon diverted to the delicate, small bottles on the side. She moves over there, leaving the fabrics at the moment so she could pick up one of them so she could inspect it. The scent in the bottle is of a clear color, but she closes her eyes as she sniffs just the top of the stopper covering it.

She turns slightly to smile over at the Lady Belissa. “Which would be your favorite color, Lady Belissa?” she asks, inclining her head slightly at the other young lady.

Belissa ohs at the question, momentarily flustered. “I am, of course, partial to Caron’s colors, but… I like buttery yellows and deep blues as well.”

A bottle is carefully selected from the box, the pale yellow color and cut of the glass, the pale seafoam green ribbon around the stopper. It is clearly one that saw a touch of extra care. A gentle smile curves Kellyn’s lips. “Do try the different perfumes and see which ones suit you best. A bottle for each of you, whatever your favorite might be.” For her part, she picks up a rich autumn brown and a delicate dusk rose from amongst the cloths. The testing has begun. “Of course there is no fear of winter - but it never does harm to be prepared, or have a few outfits about to brighten ones closet.” She turns then to Carmella. “Oh, that color is lovely against your eyes! And my house has more than its share of treasure - why not enjoy it?” She looks to Belissa and gives her an encouraging smile. “Come, you are almost her namesake. Surely you can accept a bit of her unintentional largesse!”

Carmella blushes a little at Kellyn’s compliments as her fingers release the fine silk. “Again, Lady Kellyn, you are far too kind. I thank you most sincerely.” The colorful bottle catch her eye as with as much care as she had used with the silk, so too does she handle the perfume. “Oh, this is lovely,” she declares after the first sniff from the bottle, the scent bringing a bright smile to her lips as she takes in another whiff before putting the stopper back in.

Reyna takes up a length of garnet velvet, rich and heavy in a hue not quite brown, not quite red, but warmly between. She pairs it with a lighter silk, in dark blue, but does not hold it up to herself. She turns instead to Jyana. “To bring color to your face, Jyana,” she says, holding the garnet beside the Jewel’s fair skin. “Don’t you ladies think this would become our Jewel?”

She stops admiring the clear bottle when she looks up as her name is called. “Pardon?” Jyana asks softly, until the paired fabrics are held close to her. She can’t help but turn a faint rose around the cheeks at the compliment. “Alas….I’m not gifted with a fine eye for color,” she states with a small laugh. “I’m a rather abysmal artist and so I must defer to your own superior judgment, Lady Reyna.” She looks up at the older woman. “Do you really think so? I…don’t…I mean, I’ve never really worn a lot of red. I’m so accustomed to blue and cream, of course, and sometimes green and lavender, but never…”

She reaches out delicately to touch the fabric. “Besides…” She can’t help but chuckle a little bit, a mischievous bent to her smile. “I think I should start wearing a bit of red just to see how my uncle would react.” She gestures exaggeratedly. “I’m willing to throw the dice and say the dour vein on his forehead would twitch seeing me in anything resembling Lannister colors.”

Elanna sweeps toward her chair, her eyes upon the fantastic package revealed before their very eyes. Something attracts her gaze to the carpet then, and she bends gracefully to pick it up. She frowns upon regarding the vessel in her fingers. She uncaps the small bottle and sniffs it gingerly.

“How..curious… Kellyn,” she utters, a frown upon her features, “I thought this might have..been…but,” she pauses, and a pallor rises in her cheek.

“Oh…oh dear…” the bottle tumbles from nerveless fingers, as Elanna crumples into a heap upon the floor.

Edmund Storm, his eyes upon the small gathering, leaps suddenly forth…even as the bottle and its strange contents tumble toward Carmella, coming to rest by her toe.

“It’s not -really- red…” Reyna begins, looking over her shoulder at the falling perfume bottle. The strange man does not even register on her as she throws the garnet velvet over Jyana’s shoulder and drops down beside Elanna. “Ella!” she cries, reaching for one of her friend’s hands and chafing it. “Ella, dearest, what’s wrong?”

It is so easy to relax as the gifts find welcome. Kellyn dabs just a bit of the beribboned perfume on her wrists. “It will be such fun - something for us to do in the days to come at our teas,” she tells Carmella even as she watches Reyna and Jyana. “I do think the garnet becomes you. And your motivations are quite amusing. I wonder what Jonn will think to see you decked out in crimson with some gold? I imagine he will be quite proud to see our colors upon such beauty.” And then on to Elanna…

Her head cants to the side at the mention of curious. “Might have been ...” But even then she is rising swiftly to her feet, though not so swiftly that perfume is spilled. It is set quickly, but neatly aside. “She ... must be allergic.” It is all that a suddenly pale and horrified Kellyn can imagine as she hurries forward. Not too close, though, as she does not know what to do. “There must be someone about who can see to her!”

Carmella leans down and picks up the bottle. It’s a lovely little piece of art, Dornish in style by the look of it, for those that might know such things. It immediately attracts Carmella’s attention as it rolls to her foot. Her fingers deftly sweep it up, glancing up just in time to see Elanna collapsing to the floor. There’s a gasp from their hostess. “Elanna! Melora, get the lady some water!” With bottle in hand she gets to her feet, not having seen anything Elanna’s done in the last few moments, save for falling to the floor. A shame she had not, for she might have been spared Elanna’s fate.

“Lady Kellyn, I think you may have…” Carmella lifts the bottle to her eyes to look for any cracks and then takes a brief sniff of the bottle. Her nose wrinkles and she wavers a bit. “Too strong,” she murmurs is distaste, words slurring a little as she too crumples to the floor, narrowly missing the edge of the table. The bottle rolls away from her opened hand.

To her credit, Jyana doesn’t scream as Elanna, and then Carmella too, goes down. Instead, Jyana’s eyes move towards the scene before her, lifting her hands to catch the discarded red velvet in her hands. Setting the cloth carefully on the side, she starts to walk towards them, and pauses at the spilled bottle lying by Carmella’s feet.

Swiftly, and mentally apologizing to Lady Kellyn as she moves for the door, she takes one of the square samples from the table, stooping gently to cover up the bottle with it and the cloth protecting the mouth of it. She stands up then, cradling the scent to her chest….if it was a scent at all.

“The obvious culprit.” Though there was another one on the loose, and one certainly more human. “Lady Kellyn, please call for a maester. A full fledged one.” She frowns as she looks down at the bottle in her hands.

Dropping gently on her knees, she tucks the wrapped bottle into her bodice to keep it secure, and then reaches out to cradle Carmella’s face between her hands. One of her hands slide down further to test the beats of her heart. It seems the little Jewel knows a little bit about healing.

Edmund Storm kneels down beside Elanna, his eyes have darkened somewhat as he looks over her unconscious pallor, sword roughened hands lifting her eyelids, but she lies there…senseless. He turns to look at Carmella, and as she falls too, he looks grimly for the bottle.

“Hand it here, young lady,” he rumbles as he holds out his hand to the Jewel, “Let me look at it. I have seen such a thing…mayhap..”

There is definite concern in the Stormland features.

And Kellyn starts to send her guards, but then frowns. “You two. Sit.” The ruthless look that promises skin will be stripped from their hides should she find out they’ve had anything to do with this cows the men. Word is swiftly sent out nonetheless to have the finest maester in the city sent for, no expense paid.

Melora has rushed back in with water for Elanna but seeing her mistress in similar distress has the maid screaming and dropping to goblet she was holding. There is little reaction from Carmella herself. She’s still breathing, but it is slow and shallow, likewise her pulse has slowed. The maid is beside herself and her cries bring Oslynne and a couple other curious sorts to peer over the Dondarrion maids’ shoulders.

Guards in purple and black are soon to arrive as well, making the Dondarrion solar quite a crowded room. One has gone even so far as to draw a dagger from his hip.

She complies with Edmund, the Jewel stretching out one delicate hand to give him the wrapped bottle. “Such a thing would not have been included among Lady Kellyn’s gifts by accident,” she tells him quietly, though she doesn’t leave Carmella’s side. “Perhaps those who handled the box and those who packed it ought to be presented with some careful inquiries.” She glances down to Carmella’s face with concern. “The box was wrapped in ribbon. The bottle may have very well have been there before it left the Lannister Manse, or when it was stored here. The bottles are too delicate to be fooled with or switched around in the middle of transport.”

She retrieves a nearby pillow, and sets it behind Carmella’s head. She does the same for the Lady Elanna.

“I do not know how to neutralize the scent in their nostrils, but a maester would have the requisite knowledge to do so. I’m not confident enough in my abilities to ascertain a cure.”

Elanna tended to by the Storm man, whom Reyna regards with rather narrowed eyes, she stands back and carefully gathers the perfume vials into a nest of silk. “You’ll want these all for the Maester,” she murmurs, then endeavours to keep out of the Dondarrion guards’ way.

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